Denmark - The Bony Fish Fossils of the Western Limfjord – Evolution and Climate Adaptation in the Earliest Eocene (2026)

The serial property, located in the Western Limfjord sea of northern Jutland, Denmark, comprise the coastal cliffs of Hanklit and Knudeklint, which contain some of the world’s best-preserved fossil fishes. The property represents the oldest and most important site for understanding the early evolution and diversification of modern bony fishes (teleosts) following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Preserved within diatomite-rich deposits and volcanic ash layers, the exceptional fossil record spans the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and the subsequent cooling period, providing unique evidence of biotic responses to major climatic change. The property contains abundant and exceptionally well-preserved marine and terrestrial fossils, including fishes, sea turtles, birds, insects, plants, and microfossils, offering an unparalleled insight into the earliest Eocene biosphere. It preserves between 25 and 29 fish orders and more than 80 fish species, documenting the evolution and adaptation of early modern fish lineages during a period of rapid environmental change.